Emily Lycopolus’ Teaches From Her Award Winning Cedar + Salt Cookbook
When we first saw Emily Lycopolus’ newest cookbook, Cedar + Salt, we immediately fell in love with the stunning photography in this tribute to Vancouver Island’s producers and artisans. Lycopolus grew up on the Island and has assembled this collection of approachable recipes that tour you through the bounty of the lush lands and seas in this corner of the Pacific Northwest. The book is divided into forest, field, farm and sea and provides insight into the land as you learn a few new culinary tricks along the way. It’s one to celebrate and has just won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, a fitting honour for this treasure.
This fall, we were fortunate enough to discover a cooking class where Emily Lycopolus partnered up with In My Kitchen, an amazing series of classes that we’ve explored before, to present a hands on lesson from this cookbook. Explore In My Kitchen’s Japanese cooking lesson here.
Upon arrival we were greeted with Spiced Apple Hot Toddy and Apple Brandy spiked Liver Pate
We mixed up some Red Fife Crepes and filled them with prosciutto, pear and buffalo mozzarella. The Red Fife flour adds a natural nuttiness to the crepes and helps balance the flavours of the salty prosciutto, sweet pear and creamy buffalo milk. I get my flour from Flourist.
We roasted up Delacata Squash. Delacata is slender, long and sweet, move over butternut!
We all needed some guidance with the handmade pasta. Tips were welcome! Truffle Pappardelle
Dark Chocolate Nori Bark
Emily created this sweet treat, from her love of all things nori. Made with nori (seaweed), tamari almonds and chocolate you get the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
The final beautiful carb-filled meal!
Apple Brandy-Spiked Chicken Liver Pâté
We’re lucky to have an abundance of grain–fed, free-range chickens on Vancouver Island. Their livers have a mild flavour, which is softened further in this recipe by the cream. The apple adds sweetness and the brandy a delightful layer of complexity. If you can, try to use apple brandy from Merridale Cidery & Distillery in the Cowichan Valley. It’s incredible here. This is simple enough for every day and perfect for special occasions. —EL Serves 4
4 Tbsp salted butter, divided
1 small red onion, diced
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
½ tsp coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lb chicken livers
2 sprigs thyme
½ tsp pink peppercorns
½ cup whipping
(35%) cream
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup apple brandy or calvados
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter. Add the onion, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes. Add the apple, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until the apple is golden on the outside but still holding its shape, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the lemon juice overtop and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Transfer this mixture to a blender.
Wash and dry the chicken livers. Carefully remove any veins, pieces of sinew, or dark spots.
Place the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in the pan and set it over medium-high heat. When it is melted, add the livers. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring well to ensure they don’t stick, until they’re firm on the outside and pink on the inside. Remove from the heat but leave them in the pan.
Remove the leaves from the sprigs of thyme. Place them in a mortar with the pink peppercorns and crush with a pestle.
Pour the cream over the chicken livers and stir in the crushed thyme and peppercorns, pepper, and nutmeg. Place the pan over medium-high heat, bring to almost a boil, pour in the brandy, and simmer until the pan juices reduce, about 3 minutes. The livers are done when no pink remains.
Add the livers and all the pan juices to the blender with the apple and onion mixture. Purée until completely smooth and pour into a 2–3 cup serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap, making it sure it touches the surface of the pâté. Chill for at least 6 hours.
This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
